Love's Dreams
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: They thought they had come alone to join those standing for what should rightfully be theirs; they never dreamed their family would not allow them to face their greatest fears alone. A slash story about help coming to California when they needed it most.


Title: "Love's Dreams"  
Author: Pirate Turner  
Dedicated To: The men and women who stood up for our rights in California. I wish I could have been there that day and still believe that, had they been joined by a number of celebrities who should be braver than they are, they could have won.  
Rating: PG-13 for mature kissing  
Summary: They thought they had come alone to join those standing for what should rightfully be theirs; they never dreamed their family would not allow them to face their greatest fears alone.  
Warnings: Slash, Mild het  
Disclaimer: Bobby "Iceman" Drake, Henry/Hank "Beast" McCoy, Charles "Professor X" Xavier, Erik/Magnus "Magneto" Lehnsherr, Ororo "Storm" Munroe, Scott "Cyclops" and Jean Grey-Summers, Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee, Sean "Banshee" Cassidy, Emma "White Queen" Frost, Penance, Warren "(Arch)Angel" Worthington III, Logan/Wolverine, the Blackbird, Generation X, and the X-Men are © & TM Marvel comics, not the author, and are used without permission. Everything else is © & TM the author. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
Author's Alert: Aye, I realize that this is late coming out, but I wasn't able to finish it when I started and then didn't have time to format it. Ah, the buggerings of RL!

He stood at the ready, one cold hand holding on to his physical support while the other held on to his support in every other meaning of the word. His big eyes were frozen on the door that he knew would soon be opening to reveal him and those closest to him in ways he'd never dared to dream he would be doing, especially not in such a manner. His parents still had trouble with his mutantcy; any hopes he might have one day had for their acceptance were now to be dashed to smithereens.

He braced himself for the impact, but he barely felt the jostle for his mind was too wrapped up in the myriad of swirling thoughts that engulfed his mind and had seemed to permanently lodge his heart in his throat. He could scarcely believe he was doing this and still wondered what madness had possessed him to agree to this battle plan, though he knew the answer to the latter still awaited him in his lover's deep, blue eyes if he would just look at him.

A gentle squeeze on his cold hand brought Bobby's wide, fearful eyes snapping up to meet with his beloved's silently reassuring gaze. When he looked into those wonderful eyes and they smiled back, he always believed everything would be all right, but it wasn't so simple this time. They were going into a bevy of craziness, heading to help people that might well turn against them in addition to the foes they planned to help them take on. They shouldn't be here. They should be safe back at home or, at least, what passed for safety in their insane lives.

But they were here and Hank was looking at him and smiling sweetly. Bobby felt the familiar catch of breath in his throat that his lover always registered and weakly returned his smile. There was nowhere else he'd rather be than right here by him in this moment of time. He was just about to reach out and stroke the soft blue fur that surrounded his love's handsome face when the door descended.

The sound of cameras snapping brought Bobby's head whirling back up. Blaring lights protruded on his vision, but another gentle, reassuring squeeze of his hand gave him the strength to fight down his nerves. Hank led Bobby out of the Blackbird, one mighty hand shielding his face from the cameras, brilliant lights, and loud questions.

Hank's deep, sensual voice had never sounded more welcome to Bobby's ears than it did in that moment as he took charge of the situation. "Please retreat just a smidgeon of a space and allow us a bit of room." One question after another was shot at him, and Bobby wondered how he could possibly keep track of them all before one answer in particular caught his attention. "Affirmative," Hank said with a determined nod, "we have come to help in this mission and offer any and all aid that may be needed."

"So you two are mutie lovers?"

The furious look Hank shot the snobbish, male reporter could have broken his camera's lenses and melted its wires. When he spoke, however, his tone was calm, cool, and perfectly collected. "If you mean, sir, that we are of the homo superior race, then allow me to affirm that obvious assumption. If you mean, sir, that we are of the super hero team, the X-Men, then again allow me to affirm that notion. If you mean, sir, that we are supportive of the causes that are being brought to stand before the nation today -- the right to the basic freedom to marry any one that an individual chooses, regardless of gender or any other matter, in a country that our grand forefathers originally founded on the very principles that our back-sided government is currently attempting to overpower with this banning, stripping away a fundamental right that had barely been granted to the people in this state in the country that calls itself the Land of the Free --, then again, a strong, heartfelt yes resounds from my mouth to all your ears. And last, but certainly not least, if you mean to ask if we ourselves are of homosexual intentions," he squeezed Bobby's hand tightly as his next words sent a glowing warmth spreading through him from his outer shell of ice all the way through his very essence and into the deepest parts of his heart and soul, "then again, yes, I cry in affirmation for I am very much in love with this man whom I shall spend the rest of my days with, regardless of whether or not I am ever granted the right to do so!"

Bobby was barely aware of the rest of the questions that pounded them for his heart was too busy singing and his soul had spread wings from his lover's proud words and taken flight. He was vaguely aware of the reporters moving on from a mental suggestion from the only other one of their family who had accompanied them and even less aware of their actual descent from the Blackbird. He only returned to the present time when his eyes registered his dear mentor scanning the skies and his ears caught the sound of another plane landing.

"What the -- ?!" Bobby tried to ask but his words were lost in the roar of the jet engine. He watched, in growing shock and fear, as the other plane's door slowly opened.

The group of people who began to eagerly descend from the plane brought tears to Charles' eyes and caused Hank's mouth to hang open agape. Bobby stared in awed disbelief. If Hank had warmed his heart before, the arrival of these people poured molten lava into him, and where his soul had been flying joyously with the clouds, it was now reaching the supernova level of happiness. He batted away tears as the redhead who walked in the lead closed the distance between them.

Jean smiled at the man who was more like a father to her than even her own father and two of her oldest and dearest friends. "Did you really think we'd let you put yourselves on the line alone?" she asked, her own green eyes shining with unshed tears. She had planned to embrace Charles first, but it was Bobby she wrapped her arms around instead. She didn't need her telepathy to know that he was more afraid of facing the world as he came out of the closet in the grandest of states than he ever had been of anything or any one before, including his father. She hugged him tightly, caught Hank's hand, and squeezed it just before a tornado bundled in a yellow trench coat plowed into Big Blue.

Jean smiled at the sight of Jubilee, who had thrown a complete and utter temper tantrum the likes of which Jean wondered if even Logan had ever been capable of when Emma had hesitated to allow them access to Generation X's plane. Sean and Jubilee had thought they would come alone to help Jean and her friends in their quest to help Charles, Bobby, and Hank, but they had been joined by every other Generation X member save Emma and Penance. Jean still wasn't sure why the others had tagged along but was glad for their company. This was surely one day that numbers really would matter.

Jean returned her attention to Bobby. He had always been there for her whenever she had needed him, and now she would be there for him. She stepped back, allowing room for Rogue, who hovered impatiently nearby. "Now, Bobby," the Southern belle chided gently, her green eyes sparkling, "Ah done told ya, shugah, way back when ya ran off wit' me. If ya need ta run off, ya let me know, an' we'll go togethah."

"Rogue -- " Bobby's words cut off in surprise as Rogue, as Jean had done before her, threw her arms around him and held him close. He returned her embrace, recognizing the significance of the moment even more for this was the first time Rogue had ever hugged him despite everything they had been through together.

"It's gonna be all right, shugah. You'll see, an' we'll be here to walk ya through every step o' it."

* * *

"Professor, I . . . I am sorry if you would have preferred us to remain behind, but Jean and I could not, in good faith, abandon -- "

"Shut it, One Eye," Logan growled. A gentle pressure from a dark hand on his shoulder reminded him that he had promised his beloved he would do his best to keep his temper. Wolverine glared at Cyclops, then turned far gentler eyes upon the man who was father to both of them. "What Cyke's tryin' to say, Prof., is you've been here fer us fer years an' there wan't no way we were gonna let ya face all this by yerself."

The Professor smiled as he basked in the love of his students who had always been far more to him. They were his children, and it truly felt good and comforting to know that his family was behind him on this, which was inarguably one of the most important days of his entire life. "Thank you, my children." Yet even as he spoke, Charles' eyes rose again to observe the sky.

Scott frowned as he wondered what he was looking for. Logan remained uncharacteristically quiet. Ororo did not wonder; she knew. Her eyes followed Charles' gaze, and she waited in silence with her beloved mentor. She was the first to spot the figure approaching, but she did not speak aloud. Instead, she thought loudly, and all of the surrounding telepaths caught her thought. {{{There he is, sir.}}}

Charles looked up, following Ororo's gaze, and relief flooded him. He had come, after all. As soon as relief washed over him, however, his curiosity was also piqued. He looked questioningly at Ororo. {{{You know?}}}

She returned his gaze with a gentle, reassuring smile. {{{I always have, sir. You look at him with such love . . . }}}

{{{I did not realize it was so . . . obvious . . . }}}

{{{It is not. At least, not to all of us.}}} She tensed as she felt several of their team members tense.

"What's he doing here?" Scott fiercely demanded.

"Gettin' his butt shoved up his fu-- "

"Jubilation!"

Jubilee shrugged. "I've learned a few things while I've been away."

"Evidently not all good."

"Forget about that. You can wash her mouth out later."

"Hey! Don't put any ideas in his head!"

"Battle positions."

"No." Every one around them but Charles turned to stare at Ororo in shock. Charles was staring at Magnus as he descended from the heavens. He rolled his wheelchair out to where he was landing, and each of the other X-Men wondered how he could look so exceedingly pleased for he was beaming as though he had just been given the most wonderful present ever.

"No."

"No fuckin' way!"

"Logan!"

"See! I did nae t'ink she had learned it at the Academy."

"It can't be!"

"Ain't no way!"

"Pro -- Prof?"

Ororo turned first to Scott, who seemed as pale and shocked as though he had just seen a ghost. Warren caught his arm before he could sink down to the ground. "It does not matter who he is, Scott, nor what he has done. Not today. All that matters is that our beloved Charles loves him."

"But he can't love Magneto!"

"I would not tell him that." There was just the slightest hint of a fierce warning to Ororo's gentle tone as her gaze returned to where Erik now held his hand out in offering to Charles. Charles took Erik's hand, kissing the back of it as their fingers entwined. Magnus gently lifted Charles to him, and he stood with his full length pressing against his.

Charles searched his beloved's eyes. "I was not sure you would come."

"I would not miss this, my love, for anything in the world."

"I did not think you would care."

Magnus waved a hand toward the world that surrounded them. "About their trivial human world with their petty human laws? I do not."

"Then why -- ?"

He almost chided him for not reading his mind when the answer should be so obvious but then stopped himself, remembering that he had demanded that he never invade his mind again. Oh, how he longed for a better world for them, a world where there was no Xavier's side or Magneto's, a world where these damn humans did not exist to complicate matters for them! But regardless of whether or not that world would ever be, he had Charles in his arms again in this world, and that was all that mattered, at least for now. "I would not miss this," he explained gently, his words a soft breath of air against Charles' tired, old face, "for the world because of this. I have longed to hold you in my arms again, my love, to feel your skin, the heat of your embrace . . . "

"It could be again, Erik."

"Never if I have to succumb to your ways again, Charles, but let us not talk of that this day. Let us talk of you and your attempts to right this wrong that you care so much about, just . . . not . . . yet . . . " His mouth descended upon Charles', and Charles opened eagerly to him. His tongue slipped into his mouth, sparking a heated duel of sensuality with his tongue. They wrapped against each other, twisting and twining much like their lives did, but unlike their lives, this passionate kiss would only last for a short time. Erik knew that, no matter what happened, his and Charles' lives would continue entwining for eternity, and he would have it no other way for Charles was everything good, bright, and happy in his world and he was singularly the most important thing to him in all the cosmos. Today alone, he would have his chance to show him again how true that was, and he refused to waste even a single second of it.

His hands roamed freely over his body as his tongue danced inside his mouth. He kissed him with reckless abandon they had not felt since they had been young men, barely beginning to forge a life and thinking, mistakenly, that it could be together despite the magnitude of their opposed ideas. He kissed him as their students looked on in shock. He kissed him as their yells and curses slowly quieted. He kissed him as the humans turned their cameras upon them, and he kept kissing him until he had nothing left to give him.

It was only then that his lips parted from him, but even though his mouth lifted away from him, he himself would remain beside him for a blessed twenty-four hours. He wasn't sure what would happen after those initial twenty-four hours. He knew eventually they would part again, but he refused to let the hows and whys matter now. All that mattered for the next twenty-four hours was Charles and the love that he could never refuse. He held tightly to his lover's hand as they turned together to meet the world.

**The End**


End file.
